(1)   Cabinet Member - Resources

       The Cabinet Member - Resources announced the following pre-Council presentation:-

       Date                                 Subject

       17 September 2014         Delivery of Convergence Projects

       He also announced the following Member Development sessions:-

       Date                                 Subject

17 July 2014                   Round Robin Event

September 2014             Effective Ward Leadership and Advocacy Training for Councillors.

The Cabinet Member - Resources informed Council that 20 Members had now confirmed their intention to attend the Leadership Academy being provided by the WLGA.  The dates, times and venues for the Academy sessions to be held in Bridgend had been placed in Members calendars and confirmation was awaited from the WLGA that places were available for those Members wishing to attend the week-end Academy sessions in Swansea.  Further details would be forwarded to participating Members in due course,

The Cabinet Member - Resources also announced that all Members should have received their 2013/14 annual report template with attendance and Member development statistics added.  The intention is to publish all reports on the Council’s website by 30 September 2014 with a return date to Democratic Services of the beginning of September so that they can be prepared for publication.

The Cabinet Member - Resources also announced that today’s meeting of Council would be the last meeting which Janet Smith - Head of Finance and Performance would be attending prior to her retirement.  He informed Members that Mrs Smith had commenced work with the former Ogwr Borough Council in 1977 qualifying as a CIPFA accountant in 1994.  Prior to Government reorganisation, Mrs Smith was seconded to the former Mid Glamorgan County Council where she worked on the disaggregation of budgets and on Local Government reorganisation became Group Accountant for Bridgend County Borough Council followed by being appointed to the post of Head of Revenues.  Mrs Smith was appointed to the post of Chief Accountant in 2004 and in 2011 appointed to her current position of Head of Finance and Performance.  He stated that during Mrs Smith’s 37 year career in Local Government she had ensured the financial stability of the Council and would be greatly missed. He congratulated her on her long service to Bridgend County Borough Council and wished her well in her retirement.

Mrs Smith responded by wishing the Council well in the future.

The Leaders of the Independent Alliance and Independent Annibynwr Groups also thanked Mrs Smith for her service to the Council and the advice which she provided Members with and wish her a long and happy retirement.

(2)   Cabinet Member - Communities

The Cabinet Member - Communities congratulated the staff at the Coychurch Crematorium on being awarded the Green Flag Award in the category of Parks and Open Spaces.

(3)   Cabinet Member - Children and Young People

       The Cabinet Member - Children and Young People announced that to maximise turnout, the Young Carers Conference had been rearranged to 30 September 2014 at the Heronston Hotel between 5.00pm and 7.30pm.  He stated that the event was being organised in partnership with the ABMU Health Board and the Bridgend Young Carers Project.  The event was being organised in partnership with the ABMU Health Board and the Bridgend

Young Carers Project and was aimed at any one working with young people  and children who are carers and it was hoped that there would be staff from the schools, the college and the health sector as well as Members present.

The Cabinet Member - Children and Young People informed Council that the Bridgend Girls Games 2014 had been held at the Recreation Centre to inspire and motivate the girls of Bridgend to participate in sport and which had proven to be a big success.  The girls only event organised by the Active Young People Team, Sport Wales and Sony UK attracted over 500 participants from eight Bridgend secondary schools.  He stated that girls experienced Zumba, body attack, street rugby, street hockey, street games, circuits and girls power fitness workshop.

He also informed Members that the Deputy Minister, Vaughan Gething had officially opened the Sarn Flying Start Centre and Blackmill Flying Start Centre this morning, in the presence of the Leader and the Mayor, which was the latest phase in the Council’s planned expansion.  He was also delighted that the Welsh Government had approved the Authority’s bid for additional funding for the Lewistown Flying Start Scheme which would be completed by March 2015.  He stated that the programme is giving children from birth until nursery the best start in life and he reminded Members of the free family fun days, organised by the Flying Start Team next week in Plas Newydd, Bettws, Brackla, Wildmill and Cefn Glas.

                   The Cabinet Member - Children and Young People informed Members that the Maesteg Comprehensive School had started a ground breaking educational partnership with Bridgend Ford.  The venture aimed to build on the school’s success in the Formula 1 Challenge for schools in the UK, which it had won on two occasions.  The Plant would be working with pupils to develop their STEM skills in the next stage, the F24 Challenge.  The school will have access to an engineer from the Plant, Anna Stephens who would be able to offer first-hand experience and inspire engineers of the future in particular girls.

                   The Cabinet Member - Children and Young People also congratulated Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen after receiving their third Green Flag in February.  It had become the first secondary school in Bridgend to achieve the prestigious Platinum Award, which is an achievement for all staff and pupils but in particular the student members of the Eco School Committee.

                   The Cabinet Member - Children and Young People finally congratulated the students of Brynteg Comprehensive School who reached the national finals of the ESU (English Speaking Union) performing Shakespeare competition by winning the Welsh heats and along with Ysgol Bryntawe, were flying the flag for Wales and competing against pupils from across the UK including 12 of the top independent schools.  He stated that Brynteg and the County Borough can be very proud that Evan Laidler won the coveted overall grand prize of Best Overall Performance with expert judges describing his powerful rendition of a “Once more unto the breach” speech from Henry V as truly rousing.